Conclusion: Esmeralda; or The Deformed of Notre Dame

Edward Fitzball

Esmeralda; or The Deformed of Notre Dame is rightfully obscure. It's a very loose adaptation of the Victor Hugo book, and it's one of the earliest. The sources that I've researched say it even predates La Esmeralda. It's not the first, that honor likely goes to a forgotten 1832 theatrical adaptation.

 It was fairly popular during its time, and Edward Fitzball seemed proud of his own work, so others must have as well. There's nothing that makes this stand out. It is, like the complete edition advertises, a "standard play."

I don't think that there's no real reason to go back to it. On top of that, if you did want to go back to it, the process of doing so is cumbersome and inconvenient.

It's not a bad play, it's just unremarkable and outdated.